The Jimny Sierra was created with unique ideas
The popularity of the Suzuki Jimny/Jimny Sierra shows no sign of abating and it is said that there is a one-year waiting list for delivery. The range of customization is diverse, from full-fledged off-roaders to light customized outdoor remakes and refreshing town-driving town dress-ups. One such manufacturer that produces attractive machines with unique ideas for Jimny and Jimny Sierra customization is K-BREAK, which was exhibited at the Osaka Auto Messe 2024 (OAM).
K-BREAK expands the boundaries of fun for car enthusiasts
K-BREAK, which is expanding the boundaries of fun for car enthusiasts by pursuing coolness in their way and not being bound by conventional wisdom, used Suzuki’s current JB74W Jimny Sierra at OAM to remind us of a customization scene we had almost forgotten about. The Jimny Sierra was an American-inspired remake of a US Suzuki JA11 ‘Samurai’, which was an export model.
The approach of basing the current Jimny Sierra on the US-spec Samurai was sharp, but even more interesting was the way it combined the culture of a special category of lowrider.
The lowrider culture, which represents American custom, is said to have originated in East Los Angeles on the West Coast of the USA and has greatly inspired young Japanese car enthusiasts. Customized versions of this coolness became very popular in Japan in the early 1980s, initially based on American cars such as the Chevrolet Impala and Cadillac, following the example of the home country of the USA, but from the mid-1980s lowrider customization based on Japanese cars became an explosive hit. In the later half of the decade, it was further derived into the Banning and Truckin’ custom, which was based on pick-up trucks, Samurais, and Toyota Hiluxes and fitted with 15-inch wire wheels.
A Jim Ride body kit is fitted
The Jimny Sierra by K-BREAK shown here has the full-on lowrider vibe that was popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The parts are from K-BREAK’s private brand ‘JIMRIDE’, which means ‘riding on a Jimny’, and include a body kit. The parts consist of a classic grille, Samurai front bumper, side steps, over wings, Samurai rear bumper, and rear wing, as well as a spare tire transfer kit and spare tire cover.
A custom-built Ideal air suspension was selected for the suspension, which is essential for a lowrider. The wheels are the fully plated 15-inch KMC ‘Terminator’ wheels and Yokohama ‘Advan Neova’ tires for an attractive combination.
This lowrider-like design gives the vehicle a retro feel
The Jimny Sierra looks very cool with its ride height lowered to the limit and over wings installed to give it a sturdy stance. The shiny candy red livery is also very cool. There was a time when body colors with intricate patterns and designs were popular among low-riders, but the candy-red approach was the mainstay of this approach at the beginning. This ‘Jim Ride Samurai Jimny Low Rider’ expresses the specifications that were popular in those days with the modern Jimny Sierra.
The Low Rider’s theme is a design that dares to give a retro feel, such as the front and rear bumpers that reproduce an old-fashioned truck-like texture by combining stainless steel and steel, and the addition of corner markers that assert the US-specification feel of the vehicle. It will also serve as a Jimny custom part to create a retro look that makes you nostalgic for the old days.
While there are various customization approaches for the Jimny/Jimny Sierra, a remake technique based on the Low Rider has emerged anew. If you look at this car carefully without a theme, it looks cute, depending on how you look at it. And from other angles, it looks hard-edged.
All of this is balanced coolness, and at the root of this expression is the mix of old car tastes that is K-BREAK’s forte. It is precisely because of this skillful design and construction that it is possible to create a cool and cute look that is so appealing.
translated by DeepL